Another piece of anti-driving legislation successfully pushed by Lowenthal is Senate Bill 728. Under current state law, employers of more than 50 people must provide a parking cash-out program if they offer parking reimbursement for their employees. So if an employee decides to take public transportation instead of driving their own vehicle, they still receive the same benefit as employees who drive. The law was designed to encourage more use of public transportation.
Lowenthal and his environmental friends decided that the law is so important, it should have some teeth for enforcement. Senate Bill 728 authorizes the Air Resources Board to impose a fine of up to $500 for any employer that doesn’t comply with the parking cash-out program.
This is another common tactic of progressives: pass a law that “encourages” compliance and add mandatory compliance and enforcement in later legislation. (As he introduced Senate Bill 518, Lowenthal conspicuously used language such as “modest step,” “encourages,” “voluntary,” and “incentive-based approach”—all tell-tale signs of a forthcoming mandatory compliance.)
In the official legislative analysis of Senate Bill 728, the true motivation for its passage is spelled out: “there is some research to suggest that providing free parking encourages employees to drive to work alone.” Thus, employers who compensate their employees for parking are actually contributing to global warming.
The analysis goes on to say, “employees are more likely to rideshare, use transit, or carpool when they have to pay the full cost of parking spaces. Additionally, concerns were raised that employer-subsidized parking distorts the free market and encourages single-occupant auto trips, contributing to traffic congestion and air pollution.”
But if more convincing was needed as to the benefits of the cash-out parking program, the analysis offers an argument that no progressive could ignore: “Furthermore, women, minorities, and lower-income workers are less likely to drive to work alone. Parking cash-out corrects this imbalance by providing for equivalent subsidies regardless of the travel mode.” Yes, by forcing more commuters out of their cars, true gender, racial and income equality will be achieved. Thus, it is necessary to force compliance with such a noble law.
As they spend two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic on California’s I-405, America’s busiest highway, drivers would undoubtedly be very receptive to ideas for decreasing their commute time. But which driver is willing to sacrifice his or her car and freedom to abet fascist environmentalist in their latest ruse?